The things I love best – photography, eating, & running.

Eat – Red Beans & Rice

In honor of Mardi Gras, I decided to upgrade from my lazy person’s red beans and rice (think Mahatma, Zatarain’s, etc.) to a homemade version. I’ve lived in Louisiana for going on seven years. It’s about time I learn to make them myself, don’t you think?

I found a non-scary slow cooker version to try. It comes from Southern Living. This recipe makes 3 1/2 quarts, or 14 1-cup servings.

Ingredients:

1 pound dried red beans

7 cups water

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 pound andouille sausage, sliced

3 tbsp. Cajon seasoning (I use Tony’s)

hot cooked rice

garnish: sliced green onions

To make: Place beans, water, pepper, onion, celery, garlic, sausage, and Cajon seasoning in a 4-quart slow cooker. Cook, covered, on high for 7 hours or until beans are tender. Serve over hot cooked rice. Garnish with green onions, if desired.

Oh, my goodness. It was wonderful. Do you know what’s even better? I tallied it up, and this recipe is low calorie, too. One cup of the red beans/sausage jumble is 216 calories, plus however many calories are in the rice you choose to serve. Not too bad.